Skills Tiers

[cats]

C	Rejuvenate	This skill would normally seem helpful, but there currently aren't many situations where you are inflicted with a status effect. Since the companion would ideally be doing most of the fighting, you won't be getting inflicted by rats or spiders and such. If you find yourself clumsily walking into these traps often, perhaps it would be useful, but even then it has a cooldown of 180s, making it not entirely useful. This skill could be more useful not by changing the skill itself (although, I would recommend a significant cooldown decrease), but by having there be more status inflictors. Perhaps as more enemies get added this will be the case.
B	Tenacity	This skill is ranked highly solely because it is essentially a long cooldown version of any other skill. Its effects are greatest when paired with Hunter's Gamble, Diplomacy, Mortal Would or possibly Kindly Purr. Unfortunately, there are better ways to hunt, increase reputation, and increase friendship than by using these skills, and since Tenacity's cooldown is 300s, the ratio just isn't good enough to be that useful. If I had to change this skill, I'd put its cooldown around 240s, which is still longer than any other skill, but also significantly shorter to the point where it's much more useful.
B	Deep Cuts	This skill does a good amount of damage (6 at Lvl. 10) over a long period of time. This skill is pretty good for large groups, as it affects all nearby enemies. Its main setback is that it has far too long of a cooldown at 80s. 80s is a long time to wait to deal 6 damage to a group of enemies, but it's still a solid skill overall. It also applies the damage very slowly over time, which is not ideal - you want to kill enemies as fast as possible to prevent damage done to you.
A	Shield	Shield prevents all enemy damage (excluding status inflictions) to your cat. It lasts for a long period of around 7 seconds, which is plenty of time to smack some enemies around or be a sandbag as your companion deals the real damage. It's also great for escaping tight situations. With the addition of a short cooldown (40s), this skill is also a near essential for combat, but since it can be done without, I ranked it as an A rather than an S.
S	Sweet Melody	Companions are essential to faster progress in this game due to the additional perks they provide in every aspect of the game. It's important that this companion is ALWAYS kept alive, especially in mines since they do 99% of the fighting with a shocking 5 dmg per hit. At an early level, Sweet Melody only heals around 5hp, but at max level it can heal up to 10, AND it has a short cooldown.
C	Menacing Fangs	Menacing Fangs does a max of 1 damage two 2 enemies. Thus, it heals a maximum of 2 hp (1 heart). While it does have a decently short cooldown, it would still take more than 3 minutes to recover from a single enemy hit, while also avoiding the enemy by constantly running around and using the skill. If you can avoid getting hit that long while using this skill, then you probably won't need it to begin with. This skill could be improved to an A or possibly an S if it simply hit every nearby enemy instead of being limited to 2.
D	Return Home	I don't see many situations where this skill could be useful. It takes a very short time to run from anywhere on the map back home. Usually, prey and herbs would be collected on the way home as well, which using Return Home doesn't allow. Additionally, there are new tunnels you can build for your colony to allow quick travel, thus making this skill unnecessary. It's not worth a skill slot whatsoever.
A	Hunter's Gamble	This skill is rated highly because it has two uses. The first is doubling the prey you succeed at catching, which is especially useful to guarantee you get double legendary prey. A companion can also occasionally double prey, so if you combine the two, you'll be certain to return with plenty of prey. The second use is to immediately kill any enemy prey you can pounce on, and with a cooldown of only 80s you can do this fairly often. This is especially useful against powerful enemies such as ghosts.
A	Tiger's Breath	This skill is great at destroying rocks, has a short cooldown, and does a fair bit of damage to a wide range of enemies. It's great for hitting and running on enemies, as enemies will end up in a line while tracking you. The radius and damage increase with level, so it doesn't become A tier until maxed out.
A	Summon Allies	Summon Allies is a great skill to use if you're on an easier difficulty. You can have up to 16 cats, and if you spend enough time summoning, and with the right set-up, you can clear enemies without even having to fight yourself. Pairing this skill with Sweet Melody and Rejuvenate, as well as having a companion that boosts nearby cats' attack damage, would be the most ideal. However, on harder difficulties these cats die much easier, making them far less useful. But they will still do a large chunk of damage before they die. If you wait long enough you can clear almost anything without even having to fight, since enemies cannot regenerate HP (unfortunately).
B	Warding Scrawl	Warding Scrawl does a good bit of damage (6) and has a short cooldown of 45s. The downside is that it takes a bit to draw before activating, meaning it takes a fair amount of skill to use effectively. It also has a small radius, so it's not very good at hitting groups of enemies. You can have up to 5 down at once, so with proper preparation it can be an effective tool, but that's also very time consuming. Still, overall it's not bad.
D	Lion's Roar	This is essentially just a terrible version of Shield. They last for roughly the same time, but the cooldown for Lion's Roar is 80s compared to Shield's 40s. Additionally, not everything can run away (ie. Tremortrove's), or the enemy may attack before they start running away anyway. It's also much harder to actually attack or run after the enemy with this skill. There's no reason for this skill to be used while Shield exists, so I rate it a D.
B	Diplomacy	Diplomacy Lvl. 10 gives a similar amount of influence that a Lvl. 3 Lavender does.  With a cooldown of 120, and combined with Tenacity, it's fairly good for claiming territory. But that's it. It's not really good for anything else - a very niche skill - which is why it's related lower. It's still good for what it does though. However, it might take less time to just spend excess cash on Lavender by the time you want to dominate the world.
D	Spectral Dodge	This skill is slightly better than Return Home because it can be used to get to anywhere, but it's still not very helpful. All it does is teleport you a short distance forward - something that can pretty much be done just by dodging normally, but with a cooldown. If you're going someplace, it may save you a miniscule amount of time, or you may be able to teleport past enemies to get somewhere, but it's just not good at all. I would only consider it worth while if its cooldown was much shorter (like 5s at Lvl. 10).
C	Kindly Purr	Kindly Purr increases friendship with all nearby cats by a very small amount. It can be combined with Tenacity to be more effective. That is all. Not much to say about this skill as it's also very niche. It would probably less boring and almost just as fast to just give gifts everyday - this might boost your progress by a small amount but... eh.
S	Wild Slash	100% the best skill for combat and the mines. It does a massive 6 dmg at Lvl. 10, has a super short cooldown, and hits in a huge radius. This makes it especially useful against prowlers, one of the worst enemies in the latter mines. It's also super simple to use - it's just like a normal charged strike. It stuns enemies that you hit, allowing you to run away after using it. If you're quick enough, it can even be used to kill prey before it runs away (if you miss your pounce).
A	Botany	Plants are super important in this game as they satisfy hunger and heal. Botany allows you to know exactly where every plant on the current tile is, it has a long duration, and it has a short cooldown. It also allows for quick XP, as you can just go from plant to plant gathering. Although niche, it provides enough benefits to make me rank it highly.
B	Mortal Wound	Mortal Wound has a super long cooldown of 240s. At max level, it is capable of instantly killing 2 random nearby enemies. This skill, especially when paired with Tenacity, makes quick work of any territory battles. With 4 enemies dead, it's much easier for fellow cats to finish up the battle. As of currently, that's the only case it would be great for, though. It would take Hunter's Gamble 160s to do nearly the same thing (-80s) AND provide food, which is why it's a tier below. If you have plenty of time to slowly pick off enemies, then you might consider using this.
C	Nine Lives	Nine Lives can do a lot of different things, but none of them are useful enough to be considered good. It also has a fairly long cooldown of 90s. It just doesn't really compare to other skills, unless there are hidden functions it can do that I have yet to discover.
C	Pinecone Toss	Pinecone Toss ends up throwing 6 pinecones that deal 2 damage each for a max of 12 damage. This makes it far worse than most other attacking skills. It does have a short cooldown, and if you get close to the enemy you can have multiple pinecones hit it for a large amount of damage. But it's far safer to stay away from the combat, thus making the skill less than ideal.

[Agrith Dragonflame]

Not really much one for rankings, as most are ill-defined and rather subjective. That being said, I'm happy to read explanations for the ranks and give my opinions.

Rejuvenate - I can agree with you on most of your points. However, I will argue that the skill shines in Mine 2, where poison is so prevalent that even been able to cure it for free every couple of minutes is incredibly useful. That being said, it is one location (albeit a large one) out of many.

Tenacity - Again, agree with your points. However, I'll make the claim that it serves as a time saving skill. It lets you use a skill twice, so you can spend less time doing whatever you are doing. Think of it as on top of everything else (imagine, if you will, Hunter's Gamble, Tenacity, and Phantom while out on a hunting trip). You'll hit your goal and then some much faster. Could have a shorter cooldown, though.

Deep Cuts - Agreed, though I'll also make the point that it is one of the few skills that can damage an enemy without having to actually hit them (either with an attack or projectile). This gives it great use while kiting, such as if you are being chased by a hoard and you are alone, for one reason for another. Given it holds the distinction of being the only skill that can hit all enemies within range, I'd say the cooldown is justified (even if I'd love it to be shorter).

Shield - Another agreement. Shield is incredibly useful. To the point that I'll actually disagree with your assessment that Shield be ranked lower because you can do without it. You can play without using any of the skills, but that doesn't make them less useful.

Sweet Melody - Given buddies are exceptionally helpful, Sweet Melody is well deserving of its praise. However, bear in mind that the skill is dead weight if you do not have allies or buddies with you. One such situation is the start of the game, where you don't have any available buddies and normally won't for some time (depending on what buddy you are after and how aggressive you are with befriending them. By the by, any of the starting colony cats that ends up in Ember's Emporium, Krampy's Clinic, or the Temple can be raised up to three stars the fastest by using Kindly Purr, as well as maybe Tenacity and Nine Lives, since time does not pass and hunger does not deplete while in those areas).

Menacing Fangs - Again, I can agree with your assessment, even down to the higher rank if it hit more enemies. However, do remember that not everyone is playing on Impawssible. On lower difficulties, Menacing Fangs is more than enough to keep you from really needing all that many healing items.

Return Home - You are not wrong. Return Home isn't really useful, but it does have occasions where it is more convenient. For example, it can be used to allow you to stay out up to a specific time and still get back in time (for example, every colony cat is available and in the colony between 2-4 pm. You can stay out until 1:50, wherever you want without worry, then Return Home. You can do the same with 5:00 am, since sleeping at that time causes you to wake up at 2). In addition, while at the start of the game, it can get you back to the colony quickly before the tunnels are available. Yes, you miss out on prey and herbs on the way, but there are also prey and herbs around your colony. All that changes is where and when. Plus, if you are heading back because you have a full inventory, the prey and herbs don't make a difference, as you can't collect them. Once you get tunnels, Return Home essentially is only good for if you are keeping a schedule.

Hunter's Gamble - Pretty much have it here. Double the prey and instantly negating hostile prey (as a Hunter's Gamble makes you instantly kill hostile prey on success or make them disappear on failure. Win-win). Even the cooldown's good.

Tiger's Breath - Again, you pretty much have it. Since it pierces and has a wide range (at higher ranks), it lets you deal with multiple enemies. Great for any style of fighting, as well as mining.

Summon Allies - No real comment here, you pretty much cover it all.

Warding Scrawl - Again, good judgement. As its description implies, it's a trap. Putting it down in advance can let you set up a defensive or advantageous position. However, some enemies are faster than others, so that can throw off these plans.

Lion's Roar - Honestly... As much as I want to play Devil's Advocate, you're right. The one situation Lion's Roar beats Shield is if you are dealing with an enemy that can inflict a status effect and, for whatever reason, you absolutely cannot afford to be afflicted. That being said, since it functionally is an enemy-only shield, it can essentially give you two shields.

Diplomacy - It's just as you say. Diplomacy is really just here to save on getting that extra couple pieces of Lavender or a Bright Insignia. Still, if you are dominating the world, using less lavender and bright insignias is a good thing.

Spectral Dodge - To give the skill credit where it is due, you can't be damaged during the teleport, unlike a normal dodge. That being said, that's what Shield is for. Still, if Shield is on cooldown, it's an option. A shorter cooldown would definitely make this skill more worth while.

Kindly Purr - It's just like Diplomacy. It helps you save on time and gifts by giving you some extra friendship with nearby cats. I find it more fun to interact with the characters, but if you want to raise friendship quicker and without using unnecessary items, Kindly Purr can be used to do that. Plus, even if you don't rush the friendship thing, it can still be used to give that extra bump every once and a while. As you said, it has its niche purpose for when you are around the colony.

Wild Slash - Again, agreed. Wild Slash is essentially a more damaging charged attack that doesn't have to be charged in exchange for a very short cooldown. That being said, to right a few mistakes in your explanation, it break rocks in a large radius, but you do have to actually hit an enemy to damage them, like you would with a charged attack. Also just like a charged attack, it can stun and push enemies. This allows for another thing you can do with it, by hitting an enemy with a charged attack, then Wild Slashing them while they are stunned for an easy, yet effective combo.

Botany - You pretty much covered it here, too. While niche, nothing else does what Botany does and plants are very important (all your healing and buffs, as well as more than a little food, comes from herbs).

Mortal Wound - Again, a fair judgement. Mortal Wound most excels in battles, where you can end up to two (four with Tenacity) voidlings instantly. Given that it is entirely possible to end up in a battle against ten voidlings with only one or two allies to back you up, being able to take several out of the fight without needing to touch them is not to be understated. I will also point out Hunter's Gamble only works on hostile prey. If the enemy cannot be stalked, Hunter's Gamble will not touch them. That being said, that's really just voidlings and a few enemies unique to the mines, so that's also a moot point. Still, excellent skill for tipping the scales in a battle.

Nine Lives - Aside from generating mews randomly and fertilizing the garden for free, Nine Lives is exactly as you describe. Each sprite can do one damage to an enemy, break a rock, pick an herb, grab an item, raise friendship with a cat, fertilize a plant, or generate some random mews. It's the Jack-of-All-Trades skill. Excelling at nothing, but does everything so that you can use it if you have a spare slot and would like that little bit of extra help.

Pinecone Toss - While I will agree with you, credit where credit is due. Pinecoss Toss is excellent for a shotgun blast type attack if you are close to an enemy. In addition, the pinecones are tossed in an arc, letting you hit enemies over a wide area. However, enemies tend to chase you in a line. As such, you'll only likely hit one of them with the pinecones, due to them not piercing. Really, if you want to use this skill, treat it like a shotgun.

[Indasa]

I'm not gonna give my whole two cents to this but I do wanna make a little remark about Rejuvenate. Which is that I've noticed that you can avoid gas traps in the mines entirely by wearing the Beaky mask, taking away another advantage of this skill. It's still useful for keeping the buddy healthy, especially in later mines where there are plenty poisonous traps and enemies, but honestly I would rather carry some stacks of Marigold than waste a whole skillslot for this.

But on this thread overall: these are pretty helpful! I've been unsure which skills would be best for combat, so this is nicely laid out to get an overview, thanks!